Assistant Professor, Doctor of Social Work Program

The University of Memphis School of Social Work invites applications for a nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor position to support the continued growth, quality, accreditation readiness, and long-term sustainability of the Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program. The proposed hire date is August 2027.

The DSW program is a fully online, 48-credit professional doctorate designed to prepare practitioner-scholars, executive leaders, clinical administrators, educators, and advanced practitioners who can address complex social, behavioral health, healthcare, and organizational challenges through evidence-based practice, leadership, and applied research.

• Teach doctoral-level courses in the DSW program on a teaching load determined by the Department Chair as a nine-month, tenure-track faculty member.
• Advise approximately 5–10 students per semester and provide individualized doctoral mentoring.
• Serve as a capstone or dissertation chair and/or committee member to guide students through completion of applied research projects.
• Contribute to curriculum development, assessment, and continuous improvement of the DSW program.
• Support CSWE accreditation activities, including preparation for site visits, reporting, assessment, and documentation.
• Maintain an active scholarly agenda consistent with tenure-track expectations and the mission of the School of Social Work.
• Pursue opportunities for external funding, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community-engaged scholarship.
• Participate in School, College, University, professional, and community service activities.

Teaching Expectations

The successful candidate will teach required and/or elective doctoral courses in the DSW curriculum, which emphasizes research, statistics, evaluation, leadership, management, supervision, informatics, teaching, and advanced practice knowledge. Typical course enrollments are expected to range from 15–25 students, with the faculty member teaching approximately 40 students each semester across assigned courses and sections. The position will also support doctoral advising and capstone/dissertation mentoring necessary for timely student progression and degree completion.

Research and Scholarly Activity

The school seeks a candidate whose scholarship aligns with strategic program and workforce needs. Preference will be given to candidates with expertise in gerontology or integrated behavioral health, while applicants with scholarship across the lifespan and in related areas of advanced social work practice are encouraged to apply. The successful candidate should demonstrate evidence of scholarly productivity and potential for external funding, recognizing that junior faculty and recent doctoral graduates may be developing their grant portfolios while showing strong promise for future research success.

The University of Memphis is an R1 institution. The College of Arts and Sciences offers competitive faculty workloads that recognize demonstrated research productivity while balancing research, teaching, and service responsibilities in accordance with college workload policy. Please refer to the CAS Teaching/Workload Guidelines for additional information.

• Earned doctorate in social work or a closely related field by the time of appointment.
• MSW from a CSWE-accredited program or equivalent social work educational background.
• Demonstrated ability or strong potential to teach in an online doctoral program.
• Evidence of scholarly productivity or a clearly articulated research agenda appropriate for a tenure-track appointment.
• Commitment to doctoral student mentoring, applied research, and the preparation of advanced social work leaders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Expertise in gerontology, addiction programming, integrated behavioral health, healthcare, behavioral health workforce development, organizational leadership, clinical administration, or advanced practice across the lifespan.
• Experience teaching graduate or doctoral social work courses, particularly in online or hybrid formats.
• Experience chairing or serving on dissertations, capstones, or applied research committees.
• Potential for external funding and interdisciplinary research collaboration.
• Experience with CSWE accreditation, assessment, or curriculum development.

Application Materials

Applicants should submit a cover letter describing qualifications and fit for the position, a curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching philosophy, a research statement, evidence of teaching effectiveness if available, and contact information for professional references. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled.